Victor Martinez News

"If Victor Martinez's continues to avoid setbacks, he could be sent out on a rehabilitation assignment by the end of this week. ''Victor is throwing out to 105 feet and will progress to 120 feet Sunday,'' Indians head trainer Lonnie Soloff said Saturday. After that, he will throw to bases. ''From a hitting standpoint, he did some soft-toss with [hitting coach] Derek Shelton. Early in the week, he is scheduled to take batting practice against the coaches, and by the time we get to Toronto [Friday], he should be taking BP with the team. He also will run the bases next week.'' That takes care of every test Martinez would have to pass before actually catching in a game. ''Optimistically, the ..."

"Victor Martinez (elbow surgery) played catch on Monday and reported no ill effects. ''He's caught a couple of bullpens,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ''He didn't throw the ball back, but catching bullpens helps keep his legs in shape.'' Wedge wants to see Martinez spend more of the day in the clubhouse, something that many players on the DL find uncomfortable, because they are unable to play. ''I want him to come around,'' the manager said. ''He's one of the leaders on the club. I know it's tough for guys on the DL. They go crazy watching baseball and not being able to play it.''"

"Dr. Mark Schickendantz performed a 45-minute operation at the Cleveland Clinic's facility in Strongsville on Friday to remove loose bodies (bone chips) and clean out Victor Martinez's right elbow joint. Martinez will begin the rehabilitation process today at Progressive Field. He is expected to be out of action from six to eight weeks."

"Add two more to the Indians' disabled list, which is becoming overcrowded with some of the team's best players. Besides Travis Hafner, Fausto Carmona and Jake Westbrook, the bloated DL now includes catcher Victor Martinez and second baseman Josh Barfield. Dr. Mark Schickendantz will perform arthroscopic surgery today at the Cleveland Clinic to remove bone chips from Martinez's right elbow, correcting a condition that has plagued him for the past six weeks. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks."

"Manager Eric Wedge said everything is hitting the Indians at once. He was not talking about the kind of hits they need to win games. Wedge was talking about the kind of hits that have turned the Indians disabled list into a high-rent district. Victor Martinez and Josh Barfield joined the disabled list before Thursday's game against the Twins. Martinez will undergo surgery on his right elbow today at the Cleveland Clinic to remove bone chips. Barfield will have the sprained middle finger on his left hand examined Monday by Dr. Thomas Graham in Baltimore to see if surgery is needed."

"Tribe catcher Victor Martinez didn't start Tuesday because of continuing problems with his left hamstring. He played Monday and went 2-for-6. "The hamstring grabbed him when he was hitting right-handed against that lefty [C.J. Wilson] in his last at-bat," said Wedge. "He swung good from the left side, but I didn't like the way he looked from the right side.""

"Victor Martinez has not used it as an excuse, but manager Eric Wedge said Sunday the All-Star catcher's offensive numbers are down this season because of the left hamstring he injured Opening Day against the White Sox. Martinez has no homers and 10 doubles in 168 at-bats. He did not play in Sunday's 6-1 loss to the Royals. "Victor needs the day," said Wedge. Last year Martinez set career highs with 40 doubles and 25 homers. This year Martinez is a clean-up hitter with no power and a .351 slugging percentage."

"Manager Eric Wedge held Victor Martinez out of the lineup Sunday in the wake of a mini-slump that has seen the catcher bat .213 in his past 10 games. ''Victor needs a day off,'' Wedge said. ''He's fighting through everything. I think his hamstring is still bothering him, and his lower half comes into play when he hits.'' Does that account for Martinez's most astounding statistic of 2008: No home runs for the season for a guy who bats in the cleanup spot?"

"When the bucket had been removed from his right foot and the game was over, Indians catcher Victor Martinez sat in the trainer's room Wednesday night alone with his thoughts. He glanced over at the next table, and there sat the bucket. It was the first time Martinez really laughed all night about putting his foot through the bucket in the fourth inning of Wednesday's 7-2 loss to Chicago after flying out to center field. That's not to say everyone else kept a straight face."